29 May 2017

Getting a feedback, after a difficult task

Here we are, Samir and me, during his feedback on my story. What story?

After each task, long or short, we have to give a speech in the club. This time I chose Firebirds Collective, a Sunday online club. Yesterday it was in the morning.

I feared not many will be present, but we were 17 from all over the world.

The required task for my path, the Visionary Communication's third level was a Communication Plan. I realised of course, that I am better in organising then planning. It was not easy and I sweated while doing this task. In plus, at the beginning, I did not have a printer to print the form to fill in, with the message I want to make known, the different people to whom and how.

The message become clear and clearer as I worked on the task as those I want to reach first, second and then not directly. I have a longtime goal, and this blog is one of its way of achieving it, spread the word about Pathways and how great it is to work through it. The short time goal, for which I made my "communication plan" was the Witty Storytellers Online special meeting about Pathways Discovery.

The task, for the speech was to tell about preparation or, if done, the event. I chose to speak a little of both and aie! went over time. A speech is always shorter then a story, and I always try to put it into a story. Plus, of course it was so much to tell. Another lesson: I have to learn to tell shorter.

Samir, my evaluator, was present at my event, invited, and loved it. Then he called and discussed with me about this task, it was his first evaluation of a Pathways speech. We talked through Zoom, before my speech. After the speech, he liked my storytelling abilities but told me strongly, and wrote it too: "you should have finished in time. Using stepping stones, and if necessary avoiding one to get to the end, in time."

Another lesson learned yesterday:

While everyone was enthusiastic after the event, one of the participants found it boring! That teaches me, we can not expect indeed to reach everyone every-time. What many of us found exciting new information had no interest for one of 30 of us. Found it rather refreshing. To communicate, I understand now better, mostly we can reach many, not all. The tasks get more difficult as the level grows but we do learn a lot from them. Doing them with all we can do.

Also learned how a great wonderful team we have in my online club where I am VP Education!

Now, the big, required task behind me, and a printer that works finally in my living room, I can begin the fun tasks from my elected project. I printed both of them, no need to go back to computer, unless I want to look at the videos again.

Next comes voice variety and lots of voice exercises. Found a kid's book and funny verses to use to exercise on them different tone, pitch, rhythm and so on. Beside fun, it will be useful for my task that will come after it, telling a story with dialogue better.

When I do it, use dialogue and different tones and pitch of those speaking, and yes, sometimes I do, the audience reaction is immediate.